Leaving the gym after a TOUGH workout, you might not notice any muscle soreness… yet.

Then you go home and feel it slowly creeping up throughout the day while you sit at your desk.

The next day when you wake up, and try to move: PAIN. Your muscles are tender to the touch and everything HURTS.

So when you are experiencing severe muscle soreness, what can you do to make it better? Here are a few tips:

• Do NOT sit still. Have you ever heard the phrase, “you rest, you rust”? The worst thing you can do after you hit a tough workout (especially leg day) is to sit down and do nothing, or decide to take a rest day the following day. The lactic acid in your muscles will build up and it will get worse the more sedentary you are. Continue to move: even if it’s just a walk or slow bike ride.

• Take an epsom salt bath. Soaking in warm water with the epsom salt will help to unlock your tight and sore muscles, and relax your body.

• Pain relievers. I love my CBDmd CBD Freeze Roller to apply directly to the skin as an icy-hot type pain reliever, but you can also use aspirin and ibuprofen,

• Cold plunge. These have rapidly grown in popularity within the fitness space, partly because of the recovery benefits like reducing inflammation and relieving muscle soreness.

• Get a massage. While this might not be realistic for every time you’re sore, getting bi-monthly or monthly massages to work out soreness in your muscles can help you with long-term recovery.

• Foam roll. While it might be the LAST thing you want to do (nothing quite like foam rolling sore quads), foam rolling is scientifically known as self myofascial release. This can increase blood flow and work out muscle soreness.